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“If
the last few days have shown us anything, it's how deeply people
care about Cracker Barrel. We're truly grateful for your
heartfelt voices,” the company said Monday in a statement on its
website. “You've also shown us that we could have done a better
job sharing who we are and who we'll always be.”
Cracker Barrel took heat last week when it announced a
simplified logo featuring only the chain's name. Gone was the
picture of an older man in overalls leaning against a barrel.
The words “Old Country Store” were also removed.
The change was part of a wider rebrand, which has seen Cracker
Barrel update its cluttered, antique-filled restaurants with
lighter paint and modern furniture.
Many on social media, including Donald Trump Jr., criticized the
new logo, with some threatening to boycott unless it was changed
back. Sensing an opening, the rival chain Steak n' Shake called
the new logo “a cheap effort to gain the approval of trend
seekers.”
“Heritage is what got Cracker Barrel this far, and now the CEO
wants to just scrape it all away,” Steak n' Shake said in a
statement on X.
Cracker Barrel shares have dropped more than 10% since the new
logo was introduced on Aug. 18.
On Monday, the Lebanon, Tennessee-based company emphasized that
many things about Cracker Barrel won't change, including the
rocking chairs on its front porches and vintage Americana and
antiques scattered throughout its restaurants.
Cracker Barrel also said it will continue to honor Uncle
Herschel — the older man in the former logo, who represents the
uncle of Cracker Barrel's founder — on its menu and on items
sold in its stores.
But Cracker Barrel said it also wants to make sure that the
business stays fresh and attracts a new generation of customers.
“That means showing up on new platforms and in new ways, but
always with our heritage at the heart,” the company said in a
statement.
The company said it will also keep testing, learning and
listening to its employees and customers.
Cracker Barrel shares fell less than 1% to close at $54.26 per
share Monday.
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